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The death of former All-Pro linebacker Junior Seau could be an ominous sign for the fate of football on all levels. For now, investigators believe Seau, 43, shot himself in the chest on Wednesday; his girl friend found him unconscious in his Oceanside, Ca. home and efforts to revive him failed.

This news came two days after author and New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell suggested that it might be immoral to watch college football because, he says, it’s a sport that exploits and maims its players. The NFL is not far behind. Yes, many players earn lucrative salaries, but those same players are basically abandoned once they leave the game. Many are saddled with huge medical bills that sometimes results in financial collapse.

The NFL and the players union fight former players on health benefits, particularly workers’ comp claims. This is significant because many former players suffer from lingering injuries including repercussions from repeated blows to the head that their one-time profession required.

Several players including former Steelers center Mike Webster and Bears safety Dave Duerson committed suicide because they suffered from CTE, which is a deterioration of the brain caused by repeated trauma.

The brain trauma caused by football collisions both large and small, which could have contributed to Seau’s death, may eventually have a huge impact on the game. Parents may begin to forbid their sons from playing football because of the risks. College football might shrivel if the raft of lawsuits prompted by those suffering from brain injuries cause many schools to lose the insurance that covers football. The NFL is also facing lawsuits.

The only way football survives according to Gladwell is if waivers are signed by parents and players that explain the true risks of the game. Also, if a system is put in place where greater benefits and education are extended to prep, college and pro players who sustain injuries.

Again we don’t know what happened to Seau, but if he had CTE, there might be more outrage over how football takes care of its players. For a possible chain reaction to CTE and it’s impact check out this story from economists Tyler Cowen and Kevin Grier.